Sorry, the holidays are slowing down updates. Will return to normal next week, so long as I don't get buried in snow again.

12:31PM

Kurt sank behind the last row of books and tucked himself neatly in the corner. Taking a few deep breaths he batted away the last of his stubborn tears. He was fearful of opening his compact mirror, knowing full well the blotchy mess that would appear before his eyes.

In the not too far distance, he could hear a soft pair of footsteps approaching. Kurt squeezed his eye shut tightly in an attempt to fight the next onslaught of tears. The steps grew closer and he crawled into an empty bookcase, thanking his lucky stars for his petite size being advantageous for the first time in his existence. His quick thinking did him no good though and as he finally opened his eyes he was met with a pair of white knee socks.

Kurt flinched, "Leave me alone, Rachel."

Rachel crouched down to meet him at eye level and picked out a random book on the shelf above. "Sorry, I was working on a research paper on," she looked at the spine of the book, "cats." She smiled sweetly. "I didn't mean to interrupt your privacy."

Kurt flashed her a look that was meant to scream, okay then, go away. But Rachel being Rachel decided to interpret as sit down for a chat.

Rachel sat down and leaned against the wall beside him. "I just wanted you to know if you needed someone to talk to, I'm here."

He looked at her reluctantly. "Well I don't have anything to talk about so I'm all set, thank you."

She nodded slowly. "I guess I'm here for selfish reasons then. I couldn't stand to be in the same room with those people for another moment." Kurt couldn't help but agree. Santana was being overtly hostile and after months of daily dumpster tossing, Puck wasn't his cup of tea either. He found it ironic though, Rachel Berry complaining about people getting on her nerves. "Like it or not we're the only ones on the outside looking in. We have to stick together."

"I'm fine on my own."

"That's what I thought too," Rachel said sadly. "But then I found glee." Kurt rolled his eyes, he was about to sit through another "special" speech, he just knew it. "No matter how many people call you weird or say that you're strange, you know there will always be four other misfits who are just as weird or strange as you are. You're not alone."

"Five," Kurt corrected.

"What?"

"Five other people," he explained. "You only said four."

Rachel's face soured. "Well Finn doesn't really count, now does he? He's too good for us. At least that's what he thinks."

Kurt narrowed his eyes curiously. "What happened between you two exactly?"

"I don't want to talk about it," she fumed. Rachel Berry never diverted the spotlight.

He couldn't say that he wasn't at least a little interested in what had transpired between the two to cause so much friction. He'd never admit it though.

"He's just so clueless," she nearly shouted.

Kurt smirked, "Just face it, Finn is no Lloyd Dobbler."

Her lips spread into a genuine grin. "He'd probably say something like 'I know that guy, he was in my Spanish class last semester.'"

They both laughed. The laughter turned again to silence and Kurt pressed his lips together.

"I didn't get upset before because I was confused or anything," he said suddenly at ease.

"It's okay if you are. Nobody is going to judge you."

He laughed bitterly, "I get judged every day because of the way I look and the way I dress and the way I speak…"

"And you think people don't judge me everyday too? For being too short or wearing silly clothes or speaking too loud?" She countered.

"You have a point," he groaned. He let out a heavy sigh. "The truth is, I've never kissed anyone before and I didn't want to waste that experience on any of you." He pressed two fingers to his forehead. "It's mortifying enough to hear that you have more experience than I do."

"I envy you," she said. "You know what my first kiss was like? The guy nearly vomited he was so repulsed by me and then he ran off at lightning speed demanding I not tell anyone about it." He cringed. "So forgive me for wishing that I waited so that it could be special. You're lucky that you've never been kissed."

"I'm sorry for seeking comfort in your misery," he said. "But I must admit I do feel better now."

"So are you ready to rejoin society?" She asked making no attempt to move.

Kurt smiled warmly, "No, I rather just sit here for a while longer. With you."

And so they sat there and talked about their favorite pita chips and musicals they wish would be revived on Broadway and where they saw themselves in five years (both famous and living in New York, obviously.)

And for the first time that he could remember, Kurt Hummel didn't feel impossibly different.